Austrawian women in Worwd War I

Women's Vowuntary Registration Office, situated in de qwadrangwe of de Brisbane Town Haww, 1915. The office was estabwished by de Nationaw Counciw of Women for de purpose of registering women wiwwing to undertake work in connection to de war.

Recruitment posters urging women to get men to enwist

The rowe of Austrawian women in Worwd War I was focused mainwy upon deir invowvement in de provision of nursing services.[1] Austrawian women awso pwayed a significant rowe on de homefront, where dey fiwwed jobs made vacant by men joining de armed forces. Women awso undertook fundraising and recruiting activities as weww as organising comfort packages for sowdiers serving overseas. Around de issue of conscription, women were invowved in campaigning on bof sides of de debate,[2] whiwe dey were awso eqwawwy invowved in de New Souf Wawes strike in 1917. Neverdewess, despite dis invowvement, women have never occupied a centraw position in de Austrawian version of de ANZAC myf, awdough since de 1970s deir rowe has been examined in more detaiw as a resuwt of de emergence of feministhistoriography, and speciawist histories such as de history of nursing.

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One of de primary rowes for Austrawian women during de war was nursing. The Austrawian Army Nursing Service (AANS) comprised more dan 3000 nurses during de war, over 2,200 of whom served outside Austrawia. 21 AANS nurses died during deir war service and a number shortwy dereafter. Nurses were present on de Western Front, and in Greece, Engwand, India, Egypt, and Itawy. The AANS comprised trained nurses, trained masseuses, 14 ward assistants and 1 bacteriowogist. They served not just in Austrawian miwitary hospitaws but awso in British hospitaws and in ships at sea.[3]

Hundreds of oder Austrawian trained nurses served overseas wif organisations incwuding; de British nursing services, Red Cross, St John Ambuwance and de Austrawian Vowuntary Hospitaw. Austrawia awso sent a number of femawe VADs to work in miwitary hospitaws. An exampwe of dese groups is de 20 nurses and a masseuse who were recruited to work in French hospitaws by de Austrawian Red Cross Society and were dubbed de "Bwuebirds" in reference to de cowour of deir uniforms.[4] The Austrawian nurses had deir rowes changed mid-way drough Worwd War I. As de war went on, de faciwities became better droughout. They were abwe to cwean and steriwize utensiws used to cwean up wounds. Offer mentaw support and treatment. And finawwy offer strong medication, uh-hah-hah-hah.[citation needed]

Coates, Donna. "Myrmidons to Insubordinates: Austrawian, New Zeawand and Canadian Women’s Fictionaw Responses to de Great War." in P. Quinn and S. Trout, eds. The Literature of de Great War Reconsidered (Pawgrave Macmiwwan UK, 2001. 113-142).